He Fainted Again

(A true dragon had appeared in South Market, Spirit City.)

(Bibi Dong, hurry up and polish my shoes. Then invite me to join your Spirit Hall as its Saintess with three kowtows and nine bows.)

Yu Xiaogang's long-silent inner voice sounded once more.

His plan made the three people who could hear his thoughts glance at him.

Yu Xiaogang was surrounded by a crowd. He leisurely gestured for them not to rush.

"I understand what you have in mind for your children's futures. But it pains me to see so many promising talents go to waste."

A faint smile, which he imagined was elegant and affable, appeared at the corner of his mouth. "So I'll arrange my schedule. I'll be sure to let everyone know when I'm going to teach."

The crowd around him shouted his name in unison. "Grandmaster! Grandmaster! Grandmaster!"

(Now I've got this bunch of ignorant commoners hooked. As long as I keep putting off the lessons, these fellows will definitely come looking for me.)

(With such a big commotion in Spirit City, let's see if you show up, Bibi Dong.)

(After all, beating someone is affection and scolding them is love. I wouldn't mind putting on a little act in front of that young master.)

Thinking this, Yu Xiaogang's heartache faded a little.

He continued reaching out to shake hands one by one with these commoners, who were fervent and enthralled by his looks.

But Bibi Dong, who had already made her way over, couldn't stand it any longer.

She tugged down the black cloak she had prepared beforehand, hiding everything above her red lips.

A hand reached through the cloak and seized Yu Xiaogang by the wrist.

Though Yu Xiaogang couldn't help feeling disgusted by the people in front of him, he still maintained the air of a Grandmaster and said calmly, "Which friend has grabbed the wrong place? My hand is lower down."

A cold voice, impossible to identify, rose from the bustling crowd.

Numerous hands reached out at tricky angles, gripping Yu Xiaogang's shoulders, ankles, and other parts of his body.

They forcibly turned him into a motionless specimen in the frenzied crowd.

This time, Bibi Dong knew how tenacious Yu Xiaogang was, so she didn't intend to let anyone else deal with him.

Not only was this man plotting against her, he was also thinking such things about her. More importantly, she needed to vent the anger she'd felt toward Lu Mingchuan.

Bibi Dong wore a devilish smile.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the teahouse,

Lu Mingchuan looked at Gangzi's peculiar expression and grew puzzled.

Even if he was surrounded by people, there was no need to get so excited.

Gangzi had been the center of attention plenty of times as a child. So why was his mouth hanging open like that?

"Heh... They're certainly enthusiastic."

Lu Mingchuan shrugged as he looked at the blocked-up street below.

Tang Yuehua's mouth twitched. Was he serious?

She had spotted the conspicuous figure in the black cloak among the crowd. From the small patch of exposed skin, she could tell who it was. Wasn't that Bibi Dong, the Saintess of Spirit Hall?

Yet the big boy next to her seemed completely blind.

Still, things didn't seem to be going the way you said they would, Mingchuan.

Bibi Dong's attitude toward Yu Xiaogang definitely wasn't one of admiration. The hand she had clenched so tightly said it all.

And what Yu Xiaogang was suffering right now was probably Bibi Dong's torment.

Lu Mingchuan watched for a while. When Yu Xiaogang made no other move, he finally realized what was going on.

[Wait, is this fan worship?]

[Where are all those hands going? They've got his pipa bones pinned, his tendons seized, his ankle joint grabbed. Any harder and their fingers will dig right in.]

[And you, in black—where are you kicking?]

At that moment,

Lu Mingchuan figured Yu Xiaogang must be the person who most wanted to die in the whole world.

It was thanks to the mind-dulling aura Yu Xiaogang carried. Otherwise, any normal person who saw that blissful expression on his face would have led everyone nearby to steer clear of him.

Then he'd be left making a complete fool of himself.

"Mingchuan, weren't you going to turn over a new leaf?"

Tang Yuehua rested her elbow gently against Lu Mingchuan's shoulder, her voice full of concern as she spoke beside his ear.

Lu Mingchuan froze for a moment.

He hadn't even been looking at her legs, had he?

Then he remembered that in front of Tang Yuehua, he was supposed to be a reformed young master who had curbed his violent streak. He theatrically raised a hand to shield his eyes.

"How was I supposed to know someone would openly take revenge on that buzz cut? Huh... Now that I look at it, you can tell just how awful that guy's character is."

"Is that so? You seem eager to join in, Mingchuan. I suspect you want to go down there and commit this evil deed yourself." Tang Yuehua folded her arms, her chest full and firm.

"You're slandering an innocent man, Teacher! I've mended my ways under your curse. How could I still be the same person I was before?"

Lu Mingchuan protested indignantly, looking every bit like an innocent man who had been wronged.

[Torturing Gangzi? Who wouldn't want to do that? But I've got to keep up appearances. If I were some cocky, overbearing Dragon Proudly Looking Down on All Under Heaven, I'd be grinning wickedly as I stomped on Gangzi in the next moment.]

[Too bad I'm not. I can only watch from up here.]

Lu Mingchuan had also noticed Bibi Dong doing the dirty work.

Wait, how could she be the one responsible?

[I never would've thought Bibi Dong was the mastermind behind bullying Gangzi.]

[Have you really forgotten your oath from back then in Spirit Hall? Dongzi, stop now. Everyone outside is a good person.]

After hearing Lu Mingchuan's thoughts, Bibi Dong stopped what she was doing, feeling relieved.

If she hadn't wanted to learn more about herself, would she have needed to get involved personally?

But getting Lu Mingchuan's attention was a good thing for her.

Bibi Dong also noticed how strangely the people around her were acting. The effect Yu Xiaogang's arrival was having on them filled her with deep fear.

If she turned into one of these frenzied people, she'd be better off dead.

Fortunately, she could hear Lu Mingchuan's thoughts, which let her avoid all this completely.

"Let's see if you dare call me an idiot again."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong excitedly kicked Yu Xiaogang once more.

That kick flipped the switch that knocked Yu Xiaogang unconscious. He fell to the ground, curled up like a prawn, and passed out.

At her signal,

the people who had previously thrown Yu Xiaogang out of the city appeared again.

With grief-stricken faces, they pushed through the crowd and bent over Yu Xiaogang. "Oh no! Teacher's old ailment has flared up. Move aside—we need to take him to see a doctor!"

The surrounding crowd parted at once.

They were all counting on the Grandmaster. What if he just dropped dead?

The men exchanged glances and hoisted Yu Xiaogang up again.

"Everyone, don't panic. Once Teacher's condition improves, we'll let you know about his lessons."

After saying this, they carried Yu Xiaogang above their heads and left the crowd.

The people behind them began to murmur.

"Truly a Grandmaster. Even his disciples are so filial."

"That's right, that's right."

"But... aren't they heading out of the city?"

Someone said in a low voice.